Israel’s Labor Increased

1 And afterward° Moses° and Aaron° came° and said° to Pharaoh°, “aThus° says° the LORD°, the God° of Israel°, ‘bLet° My people° go° that they may celebrate° a feast° to Me in the wilderness°.’”
2 But Pharaoh° said°, “aWho° is the LORD° that I should obey° His voice° to let° Israel° go°? I do not know° the LORD°, and besides°, bI will not let° Israel° go°.”
3 Then they said°, “aThe God° of the Hebrews° has met° with us. Please°, let us go° a three° days’° journey° into the wilderness° that we may sacrifice° to the LORD° our God°, otherwise° He will fall° upon us with pestilence° or° with the sword°.”
4 But the king° of Egypt° said° to them, “Moses° and Aaron°, why° do you Idraw° the people° away° from their IIwork°? Get° [back] to your IIIalabors°!”
5 Again Pharaoh° said°, “Look°, athe people° of the land° are now° many°, and you would have them cease° from their labors°!”
6 So the same° day° Pharaoh° commanded°athe taskmasters° over the people° and their bforemen°, saying°,
7 “You are no° longer° to give° the people° straw° to make° brick° as previously°°; let them go° and gather° straw° for themselves°.
8 But the quota° of bricks° which° they were making° previously°°, you shall impose° on them; you are not to reduce° any° of it. Because° they are alazy°, therefore°° they cry° out, ‘ILet us go° and sacrifice° to our God°.’
9 Let the labor° be heavier° on the men°, and let them work° at it so that they will pay° no° attention° to false° words°.”

10 ¶ So athe taskmasters° of the people° and their foremen° went° out and spoke° to the people°, saying°, “Thus° says° Pharaoh°, ‘I am not going to give° you [any] straw°.
11 You go° [and] get° straw° for yourselves wherever°° you can find° [it], but none° of your labor° will be reduced°.’”
12 So the people° scattered° through all° the land° of Egypt° to gather° stubble° for straw°.
13 The taskmasters° pressed° them, saying°, “Complete° your Iwork° quota°, II[your] daily° amount°°, just° as when IIIyou had° straw°.”
14 Moreover, athe foremen° of the sons° of Israel°, whom° Pharaoh’s° taskmasters° had set° over° them, bwere beaten°Iand were asked°, “Why° have you not completed° your required° amount° either° yesterday° or° today° in making° brick° as previously°°?”

[10] aEx 1:11; 3:7; 5:6[13] ILit worksIILit the matter of a day in its dayIIILit there was[14] ILit sayingaEx 5:6 bIs 10:24

15 ¶ Then the foremen° of the sons° of Israel° came° and cried° out to Pharaoh°, saying°, “Why° do you deal° this° way° with your servants°?
16 There° is no° straw° given° to your servants°, yet they keep saying° to us, ‘Make° bricks°!’ And behold°, your servants° are being beaten°; but it is the fault° of your [own] people°.”
17 But he said°, “You are alazy°, [very] lazy°; therefore°° you say°, ‘Let us go° [and] sacrifice° to the LORD°.’
18 So go° now° [and] work°; for you will be given° no° straw°, yet you must deliver° the quota° of bricks°.”
19 The foremen° of the sons° of Israel° saw° that they were in trouble°Ibecause they were told°, “You must not reduce°II[your] daily° amount°° of bricks°.”
20 When they left° Pharaoh’s° presence°°, they met° Moses° and Aaron° as they were Iwaiting° for them.
21aThey said° to them, “bMay the LORD° look° upon you and judge° [you], for you have cmade°Ius odious°° in Pharaoh’s° sight° and in the sight° of his servants°, to put° a sword° in their hand° to kill° us.”

22 ¶ Then Moses° returned° to the LORD° and said°, “aO Lord°, why° have You brought° harm° to this° people°? Why° did You ever° send° me?
23 Ever since° I came° to Pharaoh° to speak° in Your name°, he has done° harm° to this° people°, aand You have not delivered° Your people° at all°.”

Pharaoh chideth Moses and Aaron for their message.

1 ¶ And afterwardº Mosesº and Aaronº went in,ºª and toldºª² Pharaoh,º Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º Let² my peopleº go,ºª that they may hold a feastºª unto me in the wilderness.º2 And Pharaohº said,ºª Who² [is] the LORD,º that² I should obeyºª his voiceº to let² Israelº go?ºª I knowºª not²² the LORD,º neither²² will I let² Israelº go.ºª3 And they said,ºª The Godº of the Hebrewsº hath metºª with² us: let us go,¹ª² we pray thee,² threeº days'º journeyº into the desert,º and sacrificeºª unto the LORDº our God;º lest² he fall¹ª upon² us with pestilence,º or² with the sword.º4 And the kingº of Egyptº saidºª unto² them, Wherefore² do ye, Mosesº and Aaron,º letºª² the peopleº from their works?º² get¹ª² you unto your burdens.º

10 ¶ And the taskmastersºª of the peopleº went out,ºª and their officers,ºª and they spakeºª to² the people,º saying,ºª Thus² saithºª Pharaoh,º I will not² giveºª you straw.º11 Go¹ª² ye,² getºª you strawº whereº² ye can findºª it: yetº not² oughtº of your workº² shall be diminished.ºª12 So the peopleº were scattered abroadºª throughout all² the landº of Egyptº to gatherºª stubbleº instead of straw.º13 And the taskmastersºª hastedºª [them], saying,ºª Fulfilºª your works,º [your] dailyº tasks,º as when² there wasºª straw.º14 And the officersºª of the childrenº of Israel,º which² Pharaoh'sº taskmastersºª had setºª over² them, were beaten,ºª [and] demanded,ºª Wherefore² have ye not² fulfilledºª your taskº in making brickºª both² yesterdayº and² to day,º as heretofore?ºº

They cry out upon Moses and Aaron.

20 ¶ And they metºª² Mosesº and Aaron,º who stoodºª in the way,ºª as they came forthºª from²² Pharaoh:º21 And they saidºª unto² them, The LORDº lookºª upon² you, and judge;ºª because² ye have made² our savourº to be abhorredºª in the eyesº of Pharaoh,º and in the eyesº of his servants,º to putºª a swordº in their handº to slayºª us.